Broken Beautiful Hearts

7. Burning Bridges

Mom knocks on my bedroom door and pokes her head into my room. "Do you need anything?"

I'm still trying to process the conversation and Dr. Kao's office. "No I'm okay."

The words sound ridiculous coming out of my mouth. Nothing about the situation or the way I feel is okay.

Mom twists her wedding ring on her finger. "Has anyone called?"

She means Tess.

"Not yet."

The last three weeks have been miserable without my friends, especially Tess. I've talked to her on the phone a handful of times, but the calls didn't involve any real conversation - just meaningless chitchat between awkward silences.

I couldn't mention my knee or share my fears about the surgery and my future without it sounding like an attack on Reed.

Gwen completely bailed on me after she left the ER. Conflict of any kind makes her nervous, but I never asked her to take sides. I guess I'm better off knowing that our friendship wasn't worth a single phone call.

At least Lucia didn't ditch me. She still calls and stops by to hang out and drop off my classwork. She's also the only one of my friends that showed up at the hospital the day of my surgery.

Gwen texted me - the only time since the night I was in the ER.

But I expected Tess to be there. We've been best friends forever. Some things are bigger than being stuck in the middle between your best friend and your brother.

Friendship is bigger.

She texted me with a lame excuse about having the flu.

Instead of Tess, I got Reed.

According to Lucia, he hung out in the parking lot, hiding from my mom and calling Lucia for updates.

He's been playing the heart sick ex-boyfriend with everyone, including me. He texts and calls me constantly - begging me to give him another chance or meet him somewhere to talk. Like that's ever happening.

Soon everyone will know the truth about him.

"Do you think they'll get the test results before the lab closes tonight?" I ask my mom as she rearranges soccer trophies on my bookshelf.

"They should..." Mom says. "Reed when this morning."

Lucia texted me to tell me the test was today, but she didn't know what time. "How did you know the test was in the morning?"

"Reeds mother told me when she called me earlier to inform me what a terrible parent I am."

I scoot closer to the headboard and sit up straighter. "She actually said that?"

Mom nods. "Among other things. There was lots of nonsense about how Reed would never use drugs or hurt you. I stopped listening after she told me how he used to volunteer at an animal shelter."

"That's actually true."

"Then I feel sorry for those dogs." Mom has been on a rampage since she saw me in the emergency room and I told her who put me in there. That was before we found out the extent of the damage to my knee.

"I still think we should have pressed charges against him."

"It would hurt Tess more than Reed. Mrs. Michaels already works two jobs and she still can't cover their rent and the bills without his help."

"I care about Tess, but she's not my daughter," Mom says.

I'll never forgive Reed. The moment he pushed me, a switch flipped inside me. It severed the bond between us along with the feelings I had for him.